Fishing Phantom Lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Phantom Lake falls in Saint Louis County, part of Minnesota. This is mixed forest country. Roughly 48 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The whole outline is near 1.3 miles, and most of it is walkable. Start from Ely, 12 miles down the road. Then Babbitt, 17 miles, and Aurora, 27 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Phantom Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Saint Louis County cover yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Phantom Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 2°F in January and 65°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Phantom Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Sprite Lake, 0.4 miles away. Rules at Phantom Lake are worth checking on the day.